Ottensheim Castle

Schloss Ottensheim stands on a rocky ridge above the Danube in the village of Ottensheim in Upper Austria. The building began as a medieval fortress built by the Wilhering brothers in the 12th century. After passing through the hands of the Habsburgs, the Walsee and Liechtenstein families, it became a freehold castle in 1527 under Niklas Rabenhaupt von Suche. The castle’s turbulent past includes sieges during the conflict between Matthias Corvinus and Emperor Frederick III. In the 17th century it belonged to the estates of Upper Austria, then to the Jesuits, and later to various noble families in the 19th century. After war damage and years of neglect, a private restoration in the late 20th century returned the building to good condition. Visitors see a two-level courtyard framed by a tower wing on the east side. The four-sided tower, rebuilt with brick in the first storey, contains a chapel. Below the southern edge the land drops steeply to the river. A large park lies to the north of the main structure.